NBA Rockets draft pick inks French deal

Chandler Parsons, selected by the Houston Rockets in June's NBA Draft, has signed a two-month contract with French club Cholet with an opt-out clause regarding the ongoing NBA lockout. NBA owners locked out players on July 1, shortly after the expiration of their collective bargaining agreement, and the two sides have met only three times since then for talks with training camps set to open in only a month. Parsons' deal would expire around the scheduled November 1 NBA season opener but Mark Bartelstein, agent for the former University of Florida playmaker, said the deal has an clause allowing a US return if the lockout ends in October. Parsons, who will join the French club's training camp, averaged 11.4 points and 7.8 rebounds a game last season for the Gators.